THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE

Marinette City Budget Set At $10.94 Million

Issue Date: November 20, 2012

The Marinette Common Council unanimously passed a recommended general fund budget for 2013 in excess of $10 million. The exact amount was $10,938,459. The budget, which is balanced, is 3.14 percent higher than 2012, or an increase of $333,350.

The city levy rate was set at $4,513,042.71, which a 2.92 percent increase over last years levy, or an amount of $127,882.00. The levy increase is the maximum increase allowed by state law. The 2011 Wisconsin Act 32 allows an increase of levy over the amount levied in the prior year by the percentage increase in equalized value from net new construction. The Citys 2011-12 net new construction increase rate was 2.92%.

The City will see a 10 percent, or $54,422, decrease in General Transportation Aids from the state. This decrease will be made up by transferring $120,000 from 2012 construction projects into the New Year to be used solely for Street Reconstruction contract payments. The rest of the increase will be made up from an increased municipal Utility Payment because of the added values on the water treatment facility.

The total expenditure budget is broken down into five categories: Personnel Expenditures, Other Operating Expenditures, Capital Outlay, Contingency Fund, and Trans Out to other City programs.

People or personnel make up 61 percent of the budget. These expenditures will increase a total of $75,854 compared to 2012. This was after $60,500 was moved from Street Maintenance to the Cemetery Program, otherwise the increase would have been over $136,000.

Personnel Expenditures include wages and salaries, employee health benefits, and other employment benefits. The budget also includes a 3 percent hike for employees that are above 75 percent of the top of their pay range according the Pay for Performance system, and a 4.35% hike for those in the Pay for Performance system that are under the 75 percent of the top. The rest of the employees, who are not covered by the Pay for Performance system, which is most of the citys employees, will receive a 1 percent pay increase.

The budget also includes a 6.75 percent increase for health insurance and 7.8 percent increase for dental insurance. The state retirement plan includes a relatively large increase for 2013, as enacted by the Wisconsin Retirement System, not by the state legislature.

Other budget expenditure increases include $126,500 more for Street Reconstruction and $31,000 for Police Equipment (one new squad car).

A total of $174,114 was budgeted for capital outlay projects. The Department of Public Works will be using $130,000 of their equipment revolving funds for equipment replacement.

Adding in the school levy, county levy, NWTC levy, the city levy, the TIF district levy, state tax and a school credit set at the same level as last year, the average Marinette home valued at $50,000 will see their total tax bill rise 2.1 percent, or about $23.53. For the City of Marinette alone, the levy will be 8.87021.